Moving to Le Landeron is not like moving across open flat country. The town of the Entre-deux-Lacs region, on the shores of Lake Biel, combines a medieval old town closed off by two gates with villa neighbourhoods that are far easier to reach. If you want to move to Le Landeron, or leave it, it is worth understanding these two sides before contacting a removal company in Le Landeron: the lorry, the carrying and the paperwork will differ depending on the address.
Le Landeron: a medieval town and residential neighbourhoods
For a move, Le Landeron divides into two main areas. On one side is the medieval old town, closed by two gates: an old, dense fabric where buildings crowd along streets that were never designed for modern vehicles. It consists mostly of town houses and small old apartment buildings, with sometimes narrow staircases, stairwells that are not very wide and rarely a lift.
On the other side are the villa neighbourhoods outside the old town. Detached houses there generally have a clearer entrance, a driveway or a garage, and a lorry can often get closer. The volumes to move are also larger: cellar, attic, garden, garage, sometimes several floors within the house itself.
Between these two worlds, the setting on Lake Biel and in the Entre-deux-Lacs region attracts tenants and owners alike, families as well as people who work in the area. Whatever your profile, the first question to ask is simple: is my home inside the old town or outside it? The answer determines almost everything else.
Access, parking and floors in Le Landeron
In the old town, access is limited. A large removal lorry may not be able to reach the front door: it may have to park some distance away, with boxes and furniture carried over a longer route. This lengthens the job and may justify extra staff or a smaller vehicle shuttling back and forth. The two gates that close off the old town, the narrow passages and the tight streets are all points to flag as soon as you make your request.
Staircases deserve the same attention. In a town house, steps can be steep, narrow or winding: a sofa, a wardrobe or a double bed will not always fit. If a piece of furniture will not go up or down the stairs, a furniture lift used from the façade may be the solution, provided there is enough space in front of the building to set it up. Our page on the furniture lift covers this case, and the guide to moving in an old town offers useful pointers for this kind of narrow lane.
In the villa neighbourhoods, the constraints are different. Access is generally easier, but you need to look at the slope of the driveway, the width of the gate, and whether there is a tight bend or a dead-end street. The volume of a villa (cellar, garage, attic) also means planning for more boxes and more time.
In every case, occupying the public highway with a lorry, a furniture lift or a skip may require prior permission from the commune or the police. Ask the commune a few days, or even a few weeks, before the date, especially if you are in the old town. The guide to the parking permit for moving day explains the general procedure. Finally, state in your quote request the floor, whether there is a lift, and the distance between where the lorry can stop and your door: these are the factors that affect the cost.
Choosing the right time to move to Le Landeron
Your moving calendar depends first of all on your lease. A tenant of a home may terminate it by giving three months’ notice for the date set by local custom or, failing that, for the end of a three-month lease period (art. 266c of the Swiss Code of Obligations, CO), unless the contract provides for longer. The dates set by custom vary by canton and commune, so check your lease and local custom before fixing your date. Notice must be given in writing (art. 266l CO).
Around the usual moving dates, removal companies are in high demand. If your date is flexible, moving a little before or after these periods makes it easier to book a slot and a furniture lift if you need one. In an old town where access is limited, a well-chosen slot matters even more: you avoid your job overlapping with that of a neighbour occupying the same stretch of street.
Think about the season too. Le Landeron is on the lake and does not have the long winters of the Neuchâtel mountains, but cold, rain or frost can make cobbles and steps slippery: carrying items along wet old lanes calls for caution. In summer, the heat tires the crews, and boxes from the cellar or attic are not much fun to handle in the middle of the afternoon. If you have the choice, the shoulder seasons and mornings are often the most comfortable.
Finally, if you miss the notice period or the termination date, you can be released by proposing a replacement tenant who is solvent and willing to take over the lease on the same terms (art. 264 CO). The guide to terminating a lease in Switzerland is not one of the links on this page, but your lease remains the reference.
Administrative formalities for moving to Le Landeron
Every move must be reported to the residents’ registration office (contrôle des habitants): departure in the old commune, arrival in the new one, within the period set by the canton. In many communes, the notification can be made online through eMoving (eUmzugCH); check whether this is possible for your commune of departure and for Le Landeron.
Next, think about your change of address: employer, bank, insurers, subscriptions, public authorities. Do it before moving day so that your mail follows you.
For leaving your old home, plan for the move-out inspection (état des lieux) and the return of the keys, with the home left clean. If cleaning worries you, an end-of-lease cleaning can be entrusted to professionals. The rental deposit may not exceed three months’ rent for a home (art. 257e CO) and is paid into a blocked account in the tenant’s name: this is the sum you get back, under certain conditions, at the end of the lease.
If you are married or in a registered partnership, remember that terminating the lease of the family home requires the express consent of the spouse or partner (art. 266m and 266n CO).
If you are arriving from abroad, or leaving for neighbouring France, further formalities apply: customs for your furniture, residence permit. Contact the relevant authorities before leaving, and mention the border crossing in your request, as it changes how the transport is organised.
Useful services for your move to Le Landeron
Residential moving
For an apartment, a town house or a villa, residential moving covers loading, transport and unloading. State from the outset if the home is in the old town: the preparation of the job depends on it.
Furniture lift
When the staircase of an old house is too narrow, the furniture lift avoids dismantling or damage. It requires enough space to set it up and, often, permission to occupy the public highway.
Packing and unpacking
A longer carrying route exposes fragile items to more risk. Packing and unpacking protects crockery, frames and valuables, and speeds up the job.
Furniture assembly and disassembly
In a town house, a large bed or a wardrobe is often taken apart to get down the stairs. Furniture assembly and disassembly saves you from doing it yourself the day before departure.
Storage
If your new home is not ready, or if the volumes of a villa exceed what you can accommodate, storage lets you keep your belongings for as long as needed.
House clearance
Cellar, attic, garage: before leaving, house clearance reduces the volume to move, and therefore the work on site.
Requesting a quote
- You describe your move online: departure and arrival addresses, approximate volume, floors, access (old town, villa, lift) and preferred date.
- Professional removal companies in the region get back to you, possibly for a visit on site, which is useful when access is complicated.
- You compare the free quotes and remain free to choose, or not.
To get started, you can request a quote: it is free and without obligation.
Around Le Landeron
If your plans take you nearby, see our pages on Cressier, Lignières and La Tène. For an overview of the canton, see moving in the canton of Neuchâtel, and find all the communes we cover.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions: moving to Le Landeron
Access to the old town is limited, as it is closed off by two gates and its streets are narrow. A large lorry cannot always get close to the entrance; a smaller vehicle or carrying over a longer distance may be needed. Mention this in your request so that the removal companies can plan accordingly.
Occupying the public highway with a lorry, a furniture lift or a skip may require prior permission from the commune or the police. Ask the commune a few days or weeks in advance, especially if you are in the old town.
The notice period is three months for the date set by local custom or, failing that, for the end of a three-month lease period, unless your contract provides for longer. The dates vary by commune: check your lease. Notice must be given in writing.
Report your departure to the old commune and your arrival to the residents' registration office (contrôle des habitants) in Le Landeron, within the period set by the canton. In many communes, the notification is made online through eMoving (eUmzugCH). Then remember to change your address.
Yes, when the staircase is narrow or winding and a bulky item will not fit. It needs space in front of the building and sometimes permission to occupy the public highway. The quote will take these points into account if you describe them in your request.